1. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Overview/Update
Dr. Jim Russo, Supervisor Psychological Services
Ms. Ann Tierney, Instructional Specialist Health/PE
January 26, 2016
Good evening Mrs. Smith, members of the Board, and Dr. Newsome.
Jim Russo/Ann Tierney and I are here this evening to provide you with an overview and update of the Social Emotional Learning project. 1

2. History CCPS Wellness Task Force (2013-2014)
Mental Health Wellness was one of the subcommittees
Defined SEL as skills and attitudes that reflect “social-emotional competence”
In an effort to provide some background for our new Board members, let me begin with a quick look back. During the school year, Donna Dalton invited me to chair the Mental Health Wellness subcommittee of the Division Wellness Task force. The Mental Health subcommittee’s specific charge was initially to address several focus areas such as stress reduction, eating disorders, internet behavior, and sleep. However the team, made up of student services support staff and students, quickly identified the need to develop social-emotional skills, as a pathway to student mental health wellness. 2

3. to student mental health wellness.
History
Social-Emotional Learning is the path
to student mental health wellness.
Social emotional learning is the process through which students acquire the social and emotional competencies needed for self-awareness, recognition and management of emotions, self-control, social awareness and the appreciation of differences, effective relations with others, and responsible decision-making.
These are often referred to as “soft skills” or “emotional intelligence.” Recognition of the importance of these skills for long-term success in school and life is once again being acknowledged by educators, economists, and employers. Strong social and emotional skills are seen as protective factors which help students become successful citizens. 3

4. Social and Emotional Learning
Students who receive SEL programming, compared with controls, perform…
9% ile Points Higher in Prosocial Behavior
9% ile Points Lower in Conduct Problems
Social and Emotional Learning
10% ile Points Lower in Emotional Distress
11% ile Points Higher in Academic Achievement
(Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011)
A recent meta analysis involving 270,034 students examined the effects of social emotional learning programming across multiple outcomes. The SEL programming were universal interventions for the entire student body, not specific stand alone programs. This study revealed an increase in prosocial behavior and decreases in conduct problems and emotional distress.
Now, one would expect improvement in students social/emotional skills following SEL programming, but student academic performance also improved. This study found that students who were in the SEL intervention groups demonstrated an improvement of 11 percentile points on academic achievement tests, as compared to students not receiving the intervention.

5. Project Goals
Review and catalogue existing social-emotional interventions in CCPS elementary schools
Develop five global K-5 learning standards and essential knowledge
Generate recommendations for social- emotional learning instruction in CCPS
This summer, with the Board’s approval and Central Administration support, a team of 16 highly motivated, passionate educators consisting of elementary teachers, counselors, psychologists and administrators accomplished the project goals in front of you. The team determined that while there were pockets of excellence in our elementary schools, Chesterfield County Schools did not have a consistent and uniform approach to teaching social emotional skills to our students. The team determined that a set of consistent social emotional standards, similar to our academic standards, would begin to address this lack of consistency. Further, the team reviewed and recommended an approach to Social Emotional Learning skill instruction for our elementary schools. 5

6. Existing CCPS SEL interventions
Promote Respect
Habits of Mind
Responsive Classroom
Peaceful School Bus
To learn about the existing social-emotional interventions in CCPS elementary schools the team surveyed over 120 elementary educators.
These interventions were the most frequently mentioned SEL approaches. However, not all schools reported the use of SEL programming.
In fact the team concluded that only about 10% of CCPS students are currently receiving the benefit of systematic SEL instruction.

7. CCPS SEL Standards
This slide presents the five Chesterfield County Public Schools Social Emotional Learning standards, developed by the team, based upon the work of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning or CASEL. CASEL is the nation’s leading organization advancing the development of academic, social and emotional competence for all students. The standards are defined as:
Standard 1 Self-Awareness
Goal: The student will develop the ability to recognize one’s own feelings (emotions), interests, and strengths, in addition to an awareness of external supports.
Standard 2 Self-management
Goal: The student will develop and demonstrate skills to regulate emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to achieve personal and academic goals.
Standard 3 Social Awareness
Goal: The student will develop an awareness of the thoughts, feelings and perspectives of others needed to establish and maintain positive relationships and demonstrate an awareness of cultural diversity.
Standard 4 Relationship Skills
Goal: The student will develop and demonstrate relationship (interpersonal) skills needed to establish and maintain positive relationships.
Standard 5 Responsible Decision Making
Goal: The student will develop and demonstrate decision making skills in school, personal and community situations.
The summer project team also articulated specific developmentally appropriate essential knowledge targets for each standard for teacher use. 7

8. Social-Emotional Instructional Model
CASEL recommendations considered
Reviewed Curriculum
Morning Meetings structure
Home and school community connections
School-wide activities
The committee looked at a variety of quality products from CASEL that would support SEL.
A structure that already exists in the schools, class meetings, would allow time for implementation at each school. Several products employed the use of class meetings. In addition, full integration of SEL in schools also relies on cross-aged buddy activities, home school activities, and school-wide activities to build community and connections.

9. Small scale pilot in three elementary schools
Social-emotional learning curriculum implemented in eight classrooms K-5th grades
Professional Development training provided on January 21, 2016
Implementation during morning meetings and integrated throughout the day
The Social Emotional Learning committee recommended that a small scale pilot study be conducted to evaluate the SEL standards, as well as the implementation of a SEL curriculum, in a limited manner this spring. I am pleased to report that with the Board’s approval and Central Administration support, eight teachers from three schools were trained last Thursday and will begin implementing this classroom curriculum the week of February 2nd.
Teachers will use the SEL curriculum in their morning meetings and integrate the content throughout the school day. The curriculum includes Homeside Activities to increase home-school connections. In addition, there are cross-grade “Buddy” activities to be used throughout the school year.
An evaluation protocol has been developed by Research and Evaluation Department to collect data to guide future implementation. 9

10. SEL/CSC Pilot Schools and Teachers
Ecoff Elementary
Sarah Glass - 5th
Emily Kaiser - 4th
Elizabeth Rowlett - 3rd
Cindy Staneart - 2nd
Swen Heningburg - 1st
Margaret Ebbs - Kindergarten
Bon Air Elementary (Leader in Me)
Kelly Edwards - 4th
Woolridge Elementary (Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures)
Stephanie Cochrane - 2nd
This slide lists the schools and teachers involved with the pilot this spring. Dr. Joshua Cole, principal at Ecoff Elementary was a member of the summer project team and volunteered his school and willing teachers for the pilot.
Two additional schools were selected to evaluate how the comprehensive curriculum can be integrated into an existing instructional approach which also addresses a number of the social emotional competencies. Specifically, Bon Air Elementary was selected because they have been using Steven Covey’s Leader in Me program and Woolridge was selected because of their expertise in using the Kagan strategies in their instructional approach. 10

11. Moving Forward Spring 2016 small scale pilot
Multi-school elementary pilots during
Identify fiscal support for division-wide elementary implementation
Curriculum cost estimate of $8,250 per school plus professional development
Finally, the project team has laid out the following schedule toward full implementation at the elementary level. We are currently engaged in the small scale pilot, moving forward next year with a multi-school elementary pilots and identifying fiscal support for further implementation. 11